Drum support and detachable driving connection for washing machines



' Jan. 20, 1925,y v1,523,514

F. W. CARPENTER DRUM SUPPORT AND DETACHABLE DRIVING CONNECTION FonWASHINGMAGHINES Filed Aug. 7, 1922 a 9 l liatented dan. 2G? i925.

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FRANCIS W. CAR-FENTEB, ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

DRUM SUPPORT AND ,DE-T aonnrsnn nait/'rive CONNECTION non WASHING IMael-nuns.

Application filed August 7, 1922.

T 0 all @071cm t may concern:

Be it known that L FnANoIS lV. CARPEN- TER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State ofls/Iinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in DrumSupports and Detachable Driving Connections' for Washing Machines; and ldo hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it lzcipertains to make and use the same.

y present invention relates to washing machines of the rotary drum typeand 'provides an extremely simple and highly ellicient drum support anddriving connection that permits the drum to be quickly and easilydetached from or attached to the driving connection. Generally stated,the invention consists of the novel construction, arrangements andcombinations of parts hereinafter described and defined in the claim. A,companion application filed by me of even date herewith and entitledWashing machine. illustrates a novel mechanism for rotating the drumalternately lirst from one direction and then the other, but the presentapplication is applicable in connection with any suitable drumrotatingmechanism.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, likecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section taken centrally through the tank casing anddrum of the washing' machine of the rotary drum type, some parts beingshown in full and some parts being` broken away;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section taken approximately on the line 2-2 ofFig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section taken approximately on the line 8 3 ofFig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a detail in section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3. showing also aportion of the tank and drum-driving shaft.

The tank 5 of theY washing machine is preferably an approximatelysemi-cylindrical sheet metal structure placed within a sheet metalcasing or cabinet 6. The upper edges of the vertical plates of the case6 are shown as reinforced by angle bars 7 and the tank 5 is providedwith outturned flanges that rest on these angle bars. Clamping barsSerial No. 580,382.

8 are placed on the outturned flanges of the 55 tank and machine screws9 are passed through said clamping bars, said outturned flanges and theinwardly projecting flanges of the angle bars 7. This construction verysecurely anchors the tank to the case and makes the same readilydetachable from said case.

cylindrical drum 10 that works within the tank 5 and rotates on ahorizontal axis, may be of any suitable structure but7 as shown. is madeup of sheet metal heads and al perforated sheet metal cylinder that willbe formed with the customary door. One head of the cylinder, at the axisof the drum, has an outwardly projecting trunnion 11 and to the outersurface of the other drum is rigidly secured a bearing plate 12 that hasan outstanding triangular coupling flange 13. rlhis triangular flangepreferably forms the out-line of an equi-lateral triangle, the center ofwhich is at the axis of the drum. One of the three sides of thetriangular flange 13 is reduced in width so that it preferably has onlyabout one-half the width of the other two sides, (see particularly Figs.3 and 4D, and this is done for an important purpose which will presentlyappear.

To receive the trunnion 11, the adjacent side of the tank 5, on itsinner surface, is provided with a rigidly secured bearing 14 that isprovided with an upwardly flaring trunnion seat preferably afforded .bya flange 14a that not only diverges upwardly but rccedes from the drumhead toward the adjacent side of the tank.

For rotating the drum, a driving shaft 15 is extended through that sideof the tank 5 that is adjacent to the triangular flange or seat 13. Toafford a water-tight journal for the shaft 15 in the side of the tank, Iprovide a bearing hub 16 which has a packing gland 17 and a pocket 18,which latter is adapted to contain a suitable packing material. Thebearing hub 16 has an outstanding` flange between which and the adjacentside of the tank 5 is interposed a suitable gasket 19 which may, forexample, be of a material known as rainbow packing. Clamping screws 20are passed through perforations in the outstanding flange of the hub 16and through relatively large holes in the side of the tank and areScrewed into an. annular metallic clamping ring `271:

sunk into said head and screwedinto aseat.

at the end of said shaft. Also, an oblique key 24-.is.seatedfin thetaperedv portions of theshaftandhead, (see Fig. /i). This means securesthe: driving head vto-the driving shaft inamanner that will prevent anyslack or looseness between the two, even under the considerable strainsproduced byV reversal of the drum-driving mechanism.

The novel relative arrangementl of theV parts ydescribed vand theimportance Vthereof will be observed particularly by: directingattention to Fig. 1, ,but-here it'will be noted thatl when the. drum .isin horizontal working position, as shown by ,fulllines in said view, the@trunnion 11 will vfind la suitable bearing in .the Acrotch of thelfiangel'ta and the .tri-

angular flange .13 will then be telescoped completely around, will,rest'upon and will be rotativelv interloeked 4to the triangular drivinghead 22 so that when y.the shaft l5 is rotated, y;the drum will berotated therewith regardless of th'edireetion in which said shaft'isrotated."

.VVhenrit is -desiredg to remove the drum from operative position yandto take the same out ofthe tank, the drum' is stopped in position withthe reduced portion 13a of the triangular flange 13 at ythe bottom'orturned downward into a horizontal position, vas shown in thedrawings.Vhen .thisis done, the drum, may be moved first by tilting` the sameinthe position indicated by .dotted linesv in Fig. 1, which -ca-rriesthe reduced flange 13a slightly inward of., the innery face of thetriangular head 22, thus permitting the drum to be lifted out'ofpthetank. Y

Then the drum is to be applied in the tank and coupled with the driving`shaft, the operation will be reversed, that is, the drum will be loweredwhile tilted into a position indicated by ldotted linesin- Fig; 1,-landthen the trunnion-equipped end of the drum will be dropped down to itsseated position in the openv seat afforded-inthe flange 14a, and thislatter operation carries the reduced Harige 13 under the lower vsurfaceYof ythe driving head 2Q, thus interlocking` said' drum forrotation withvthe driving shaft A15.

. This construction, while very simple, has beenv found very efficientfor the purpose had `in view. 'It isstrong and durable and has nopartsthat will Vget out ofpoperative condition. It permits A-the'drum tobe very quickly vandeasily appliedv inlivorking position er removed fromworking' position.

Wfhat I claim is: Y Y

The combination "with va tank'an'd a ro# tary drum, of a driving shaft:extended throughV the sideof said tank and provided at its inner -endlwith a triangulardriving i' heath-said d-rumat the axis of one head'having a trunnion andthe vadjacent wallof said tank havingan openA seataffordinga 'hearing for said trunnionyvsaid drum at the axis of itsother head having-'a triangular'seat' formed by a triangularoutstandingiiange, one ofthe-walls of-'which flange is of greatlyreduced width,- which -flange -detachably Yfits around saiddriving-head, its reduced =wall permittingsaid flange to bedisengagedffrom' said headl and the drumto bedetached from said I drivinshaft :and j removed from` 'said' tank, first fby' lifting theytrunnion-eq'uipp'd end'of said drum to axially incline theidrum and thenlifting said drum'ifromV position.

In' testimony whereof I affix my signature.

FRANC/rs W. CARPENTER

